


Eleven Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

by TheOtakuWithHazelEyes



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: Angst, Ben 10: Omniverse, Ben 10K future, Character Study, Devlin is snarky, Devlin wants his dad to get his life in order, Devlin's mom is not Gwen, F/M, Gen, Gwen loves him anyway, Gwendolyn is supportive, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Post "End of An Era", Self-Doubt, You don't get over energy addiction easily, headcanons, i love it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-20 10:13:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10660425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOtakuWithHazelEyes/pseuds/TheOtakuWithHazelEyes
Summary: In the hours following Maltruant's attack on Plumber HQ, Gwendolyn can't help but wonder what possessed Kevin to fight as he did against Exoskull. When she confronts him about it, both parties realize just how much an insanity-driven past still haunts the present.





	1. Gwendolyn

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired to write this after watching "The End of an Era", for this one little detail bothered me...

 

"So you're telling me not only was the dwarf star core stolen, not only was the base attacked by the rogue Chronosapien Maltruant, not _only_ has Kenny been secretly fighting crime as some time traveling savant- which I can't believe he didn't tell me about- but Uncle Ben and Magistratus Rook's younger selves showed up to stop Maltruant and preserve a universe-saving time loop?!"

Gwendolyn shrugged. "In a nutshell."

15-year-old Devlin Levin blinked, then jumped to his feet from the couch in outrage. This action knocked Zed, who had been resting her head on his lap, to the ground.

"And I _missed_ it?!" he hollered. "That is so not fair!"

"Maybe next time you'll think twice about constructing dark matter afterburners in the garage."

"The explosion wasn't _that_ bad, Gwen!"

"Our garage is currently in _another dimension_! We _still_ can't find it!"

Devlin heaved a deep breath and plopped back down on the couch. This prompted Zed to reclaim her spot on on the teenager's lap, which in turn prompted him to absently pet her head. "Fine, fine, I'm sorry. I just wish I could have been there. It would have been so awesome, seeing all you guys in action like that. Kenny even got to be part of it!" He crossed his arms. "I still can't believe he didn't tell me Paradox reached out to him- I could have helped! Some best friend he is."

Zed whined in sympathy.

Gwendolyn gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure he had his reasons for not telling you, Dev. Maybe Paradox told him to keep quiet about it, or any number of other reasons." She smirked. "Either way, I'm sure you can ask him about it once _both_ your and Kenny's latest groundings are over."

"Hmph. Not even going to let me off the hook for the sake of friendship, huh?" Devlin asked with a mischievous smile.

"You two have survived worse. And don't feel too broken up about missing out. This whole debacle wasn't _that_ exciting, especially after Maltruant left..."

Ugh, that had been a huge mess. They had had to get the rest of the party guests evacuated, do inventory on the weapons lock-up to see if anything else was taken, get Subdora and Exoskull squared away, give on-site medical treatment to Rook and Kevin who _both_ managed to break their ribs (proto-tech armor was nigh indestructible, except apparently to dwarf stars cores), and what felt like a hundred other tasks. By the time the ordeal was settled, it was in the early hours of morning and decided it would be best for the group to go home and rest. They would be having a smaller, more intimate retirement party for Grandpa Max later that week.

Gwendolyn was a little steamed about it, really. She had been looking forward to this party all month- it would have been the perfect time to tell everyone. But once she had bid Ben and his family goodbye and helped Kevin back to the ranch-style home they shared with Devlin and Zed, it was only when they were unlocking the front door did she realize that in all the commotion she hadn't been able to make the big announcement. She had so wanted to surprise her family! If Maltruant wasn't already in pieces by now, she would have torn him apart herself.

"Going off the look on your face, I'm guessing you didn't get to tell Dad and everyone your big surprise?" Devlin asked knowingly.

Gwendolyn shook her head. "No. I suppose if its waited this long, another week won't kill me."

"Maybe you should tell Dad now. He's probably hopped up on painkillers, so he won't be able to get mad you told me first."

"I doubt it- you know how your father feels about those. And I also doubt this will anger him." At least, she hoped not. "If he's going to be angry about anything, it's how he got defeated so quickly by Exoskull. Ben wouldn't stop teasing him about it."

Hence why Ben went home with a black eye.

"Yeah, that part of the story threw me off." Devin leaned back in thought. "Exoskull is tough, but even _if_ he was jacked up with the star core, Dad should have put up a much better fight. Give him a few dents, at least."

Zed barked in enthusiastic agreement.

Devlin was more right than he realized. Gwendolyn had gotten a play-by-play of the fight from Jimmy while medics were trying to hold Kevin down. According to him, once Rook had been knocked out, Kevin had tried shooting the cyborg with his blaster and gotten rhino-charged into the wall for his efforts. It was kind of pathetic (not that Jimmy would tell ever Kevin that to his face- the reporter was still a little afraid of him). It was completely unlike Kevin to go down easily. The Osmosian may have no longer possessed the various alien powers that made him Kevin 11000, but he was still formidable with just his matter absorption abilities...

"... which he didn't he use at all," Gwendolyn muttered. Her eyes widened in realization. _Oh, Kevin..._

"Gwen? Is something wrong?" Devlin asked his dad's girlfriend.

"Nothing," she lied quickly. "Devlin, you and Zed go back to bed. It's late."

Devlin yawned. "Technically it's _early_ , but okay. You gonna hit the sack too?"

"Not yet. I need to have a word with your father."

"Oooh, is he in trouble?"

"I haven't decided yet."

 

* * *

 

After she watched Devlin go into his room, Gwendolyn made her way to the master bedroom. There she found Kevin exactly as she had left him- sitting on the edge of the bed, gingerly applying cooling pads to his ribs. He had changed out of his proto-tech armor and into a pair of dark gray pajama pants. His long, glossy black hair stood out against the stark, white bandages that swathed his muscled chest.

She took a moment to appreciate the sight before speaking up. "Hey, babe."

Kevin spared her a glance before focusing again his chest. "Hey."

She frowned, but took a seat next to him and took the cooling pad from him, applying it to a different part of his ribs. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by a cyborg rhino with a dwarf star power-up." He gave her a tired smile. "What does it say about my life that that's considered normal?"

"In our family, normal is purely relative," she replied with a giggle. The giggling stopped when she saw a full orange bottle on the night stand. "Kevin! You haven't taken any of your painkillers yet?!"

So much for him being too hopped up on painkillers to get angry. Not that it was unexpected. Kevin absolutely _despised_ anything that dulled the senses, but taking into account how much pain he was likely in, she had hoped he wouldn't be so stubborn.

"I don't need them," Kevin muttered, looking away.

Gwendolyn raised an eyebrow, then gently poked him in the ribs.

He grimaced. "Ow! Gwendolyn!"

"I thought so," she sighed. She crossed her arms. "Broken ribs are a serious injury, Kevin. You can't just tough out the pain! The doctors said-"

"The doctors can suck on their stethoscopes!" Kevin snapped back venomously. "If I say I don't need them, I don't need them! Back off!"

" _Kevin_!" Gwendolyn scolded warningly.

The man immediately looked remorseful. He looked away again. "... Sorry. You don't deserve that. I'm... I'm just tired."

He certainly _looked_ tired, but then again, he always looked that way nowadays. However, what he didn't mention- not that he had to, as Gwendolyn already knew- was that painkillers reminded him of the "11K" days. He had been so energy drunk he hadn't properly felt pain in years. (Seeing him stub a toe after being cured was both a humorous and depressing experience.) Even three years after being released, he still avoided anything that could replicate the feeling, from alcohol to his hated painkillers.

She took his hand into her own and gripped it tightly. "Apology accepted. All I ask is you take _one_ of the pills for now. We can think of an alternative later. Okay?"

"... Okay."

Gwendolyn smiled and pecked him on the cheek. Kevin moved to get up, probably to get a glass of water, but when he gave an agonized wince Gwendolyn forced him to sit back down.

"I'll get you some water," she told him. "You lay down and keep applying those cooling packs. And remember to lean against the headboard- you're not supposed to lay straight on your back yet. "

Her boyfriend simply nodded in lieu of a sarcastic reply of "Yes, _Mom,_ " but Gwendolyn knew he was thinking it. She stood and entered the room's adjoined bathroom. Along with getting the glass of water, she snapped her fingers and magically shifted from her uniform to a pale blue nightgown. She returned, handed Kevin the water, and lay down next him on the opposite side of the bed on top of the covers. She didn't allow herself to relax until Kevin swallowed the pill. After that she snuggled into his side and draped her arm across his abdomen, wary of his chest. They remained this way quietly for awhile, and soon enough Kevin set aside the cooling packs. Plumber-issue painkillers always worked fast.

"... So, Devlin was disappointed about missing all the excitement aboard the space station," Gwendolyn piped up, playing with a lock of Kevin's hair.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I told him next time to think twice about building dark matter afterburners in our garage."

"They wouldn't have exploded if he had just calibrated the-"

"That's not the point, Kevin."

"I know, I know. 'He needs to understand boundaries', right?"

"You _have_ been learning," Gwendolyn teased, patting his arm. She sat up and leaned against the headboard. "Devlin is a good kid, but he has this reckless streak that would put teenage Ben to shame."

"Don't go comparin' my kid to Tennyson," Kevin huffed. "And any reckless behavior is Kenny's influence- why else for the Omnitrix ban?"

"I don't think Kenny's entirely culpable," Gwendolyn reasoned. "I can think of some very reckless actions his _father_ has taken over the years... or in the last few hours..."

To his credit, Kevin barely reacted to the dropped hint. He just gave her a side-eyed glance. "Gwendolyn, you've _never_ been the kinda woman to dance around a subject, and I have no _patience_ for dancin' around a subject. If you have somethin' to say to me, please just say it."

Well, if he insisted. But she wasn't going to get angry, annoyed, or any variation of the emotion. Not if this was for the reason she thought it was.

"Kevin... you _do_ know you're allowed to use your powers, right?" she asked gently. "The Plumbers haven't banned you from using them or anything recently."

Kevin gave her a weird look. "Course I know that."

"Then why didn't you try to use them against Exoskull? Why did you- recklessly, I might add- only rely on your blaster?"

Kevin's eyes widened, then he closed his eyes and cursed. " _Dammit_ , Rook!"

The sorceress chose not to reveal it was Jimmy who blew the whistle. Rook had a higher chance of surviving.

Ignoring any protest from Gwendolyn, Kevin stiffly got up from the bed and stalked to the other side of the room, agitatedly running his hands through his hair. Gwendolyn followed after him.

"And it wasn't just then, was it?" she went on. "I've been thinking about it, and I can't remember the last time I've seen you use your powers. Have you used them at _all_ in recent months?"

"Of course I have!" he retorted, turning to face her. "Ask Tennyson or Rook! I've used them plenty of times!"

"Then what about today was so special you couldn't use them to coat yourself in steel and prevent your ribs from being broken?!" she shouted. "You're going to be 'keeping the Rooters in line' starting next week, _Magister_ Levin! You know better than anyone how dangerous the Null Void is, so you need to be at the top of your game! Or about as top of your game as you can be with broken ribs!"

"Could you please shut up about my freakin' ribs?! And don't call me that!"

"Call you what? Magister Levin?"

"Yes!"

"It's your rank!"

"One you and I both know I don't deserve!"

Any reply from Gwendolyn died in her throat. All she could do was send her boyfriend a stricken look.

"... Kevin, I thought you were past this," she choked. When he didn't respond, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. " _Talk to me._ You've _always_ been able to talk to me, Kevin. What happened?"

He neither spoke nor moved for what felt like an eternity. Gwendolyn was almost afraid he would blow it off, but her fears were put to rest when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"You guys have way too much faith in me," he muttered.

"Kevin..."

"The star core," he began to explain. "I felt its power the minute Argit walked into the room. But it was so dull I didn't think it was anythin' important- just a buzz in my head. I get those whenever I walk past an open outlet or Tennyson's watch. I also didn't know it was comin' from Argit until Exoskull took it, and I didn't feel it's full power until he plugged it into his armor. I wasn't anywhere close to him but..." He shuddered. "It felt _amazing_. If I hadn't been so ticked at our _dear_ president, I would've let it show."

Kevin stopped hugging his girlfriend and pushed her back, but kept his hands on her shoulders. "I was tempted, Gwen. I wanted it so badly I could _taste_ it. It took all willpower not to run up to Exoskull and snatch the dwarf star for myself. So I kept my distance and didn't use my powers, figuring if I took them out of the equation I wouldn't make an attempt. Then I got my ribs broken." He rubbed his chest. "It's a small price to pay in the long run, if you think about it. Wouldn't want me to become a monster again, right?"

"You were never a monster-" Gwendolyn tried to argue.

"YES I WAS!"

Gwendolyn didn't continue. She would wait until he said his piece.

"As much as I appreciate the support, it doesn't change the fact I was a _monster_ ," Kevin went on. "I wasn't _sick_ , I wasn't _troubled_ , I was a Grade-A, certified, out-of-my-mind _monster_! I hurt innocent people! I hurt Ben! I hurt _you_! I hurt my damn _son_! You guys might've 'cured' me, but it would be so, so easy for me to go right back to bein' that beast. Even now- it's been four years and I'm still not all right in the head! I'm angry all the time and _you_ have to keep an eye on me! If I was tempted to go back for someone like Animo's pet robo-rhino, what happens when I'm faced with a _real_ threat, like with Aggregor?! It's happened twice before now, _including_ Aggregor, and it'll happen again! I _can't_ be Kevin 11K again, Gwen! I don't want to- _aargh!_ "

He doubled over, clutching his chest. In his over-excitement, Kevin had strained his injury. Gwendolyn caught him by the arm and gently led him back to the bed.

"Lemme go, I'm _fine_ ," he grunted.

"No, you're not, Kevin." Gwen shoved him unceremoniously onto the bed. "And I'm not talking about your injury."

He had officially confirmed her theory. He was afraid of using his powers again due to a single moment of weakness. It was just like when he first came home three years ago.

Back then, he had recently completed a year of therapy for residual insanity- after all, madness wasn't like a lamp; you couldn't just turn it off by cutting the power, and especially not when you were energy-crazy for over a decade. When he arrived, he treated everything with an air of caution. He didn't use his powers and he didn't talk to anyone aside from close family/friends as his old temper and aggressive behaviors persisted. He had also vehemently disagreed with Max's decision to let him rejoin the Plumbers, or being allowed to roam free in general, even with the pardon he received due to aforementioned madness. Despite how much he loved being a Plumber, he didn't think he was worthy of the position anymore. It had taken much prodding from Gwendolyn, Ben, and Devlin to make him reconsider.

As time passed, Kevin slowly but surely became re-accustomed to everyday life. He went on missions with her or Ben, had guy-time with Ben, officially reconciled his relationship with her (not that they hadn't done a good chunk of reconciling during... _one-on-one_ therapy sessions), reclaimed Zed, and worked to build a better bond with his son. These days it was like they had the old Kevin back, albeit with angry mood swings and the occasional depression episode. He had come very far in his recovery, so when Max offered him Rook's old job, he accepted with vigor. Who knew the Null Void and the Rooters better than him?

All that progress, _gone_ , because of one _stupid_ moment of _self-perceived_ weakness on his part. It was as if a dark cloud of self-loathing was emanating from the dark haired man, and it broke Gwendolyn's heart to see it take over. However, there was no way in hell she was going to let it continue.

"I've let you say your piece. Now, you listen and you'd better listen well," Gwendolyn commanded, poking his sternum in the one place she knew wasn't injured. "One, you can't _not_ use your powers. It's impractical for someone of your occupation."

Kevin was unimpressed. "Yeah, kinda figured that one out with the broken-"

"Kevin Ethan Levin, now _you_ shut up about your freaking broken ribs!" Gwendolyn snapped. "I said _listen_ , not talk!"

Kevin wisely shut up.

"Two, you want me to say it? Fine. Kevin 11000, Ultimate Kevin, and Kevin 11 were monsters. They hurt me and my family more times than I can count." Her hard expression softened. "But they weren't _you_. They weren't the super-cool, muscle car-driving, ultimate bad boy Kevin Levin I've grown to love so much. They were so different from this you, the _real_ you, that I don't consider you to be the same people. They were just nightmares your energy-absorption created. I know Ben and the others feel the same way. They know those nightmares swallowed up the real you and drove you to commit those horrible acts. That's why Ben forgave you, Kenny forgave you, Grandpa forgave you, Rook forgave you, your mother forgave you, I forgave you, and even _Devlin_ forgave you! Because they knew the monster they feared and had to fight wasn't really _you_." She took Kevin's face in her hands. "I've told you this before. I've _been_ telling you this for the last four years and I _know_ you know this."

Kevin didn't reply, but he did reach up and place one of his hands over one of Gwendolyn's.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "And three... maybe you're right. Maybe you will become that nightmare again. But if you ever do, it will never be for as long as last time because Ben and I will _never_ fail you like we did then."

Kevin inhaled sharply. He removed Gwendolyn's hands and grabbed her shoulders again. "Gwen! You guys didn't _fail_ me-!"

"We _did_ ," Gwendolyn said, her voice becoming thick. "Kevin, we _gave up_ on you. _I_ gave up on you. I didn't even do that when you were Ultimate Kevin." Her eyes started to well up. "In the beginning, we did everything we could to try to help. We'd catch you, lock you up, then you'd escape and the whole process started over again. But as the years went by, we just... _stopped_. Stopped looking for you, stopping trying to find a way to fix you once we figured out the Dominus Librium wouldn't work again, stopped trying to bring you back to us. Even Ben, being the workaholic he was during that time... I made him swear not to try to kill you again, and in all honesty he didn't want to. He vowed to bring you home one day, if only for me."

She bit her lip. "But after all those encounters you two had, seeing you get worse and worse... eventually he didn't see the point in trying anymore."

And that was saying something, seeing as how _much_ of a workaholic he had become. After the "incident" when he was twenty, Ben slowly transformed into a no-nonsense mega-hero. The man went longer and longer without transforming back into a human as time went on. It had put a huge strain on his relationships with his friends, family, and then-fiance Kai. It certainly didn't help when, seventeen years ago, Kevin went rogue again.

Thank goodness Gwendolyn had remembered that time travel spell and the instance when she was a kid where she met her older self (it had gone a little differently than she remembered, but hey, shifting timelines and whatnot). After the visit, Ben had returned to almost his old self, and regained his former drive to get Kevin back. But two years later Kenny was born and certain tasks had to be put on hold.

And then ten years ago...

"... and then, during the last battle between you and our Plumber team..." Gwendolyn struggled to say.

"... Ben chucked me into the Null Void and I stayed there for the next six years until Devlin busted me out. I remember," Kevin finished. "I don't blame Ben. There wasn't a better choice and he was tryin' to protect you. I hurt you pretty bad then."

Understatement. She'd been comatose for two weeks from mana drain. Not that she was going to tell Kevin that.

But for all intents and purposes, Gwendolyn and Ben had abandoned him there. They didn't ask if any of the Plumbers stationed in the Null Void had seen him, and they didn't bother to see what he had been up to when he wasn't causing trouble. They hadn't even known Devlin _existed_ until he came to free Kevin! It was... it was just easier not to think about him, after all the pain they went through.

They had thought they weren't getting him back, so they tried to move on- not that Gwendolyn really could. She could distract herself with working on her second doctorate, mage duties, or dating. But no man she went out with in Kevin's absence measured up. No matter what he did, her love for him didn't falter.

"That was our mistake," the Anodite said, calming down and sitting next to her beau. "We should have never left you there. The minute we had you, we should have gone right back to work on curing you. Instead, we abandoned you and left you to your insanity for another six years. _13 years_ \- you have never been insane for that long before. If we'd done something sooner, maybe you wouldn't be struggling right now. For that, I am sorry."

Kevin sighed and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. "You don't hafta apologize, I would've given up on me too...but if it makes you feel better, apology accepted."

Only Kevin would be concerned about making Gwendolyn feel better when he was the one hurting. It was one of his most lovable and infuriating qualities.

"Thank you. My point is when we cured you four years ago, Ben and I made ourselves a promise." Gwendolyn gained a determined expression. "That no matter what you did or how far away you got from us, we would _never_ give up on you _ever_ again. We would keep fighting and trying until you were with us once more. Ben deserves his best friend, I deserve my boyfriend, and your children deserve their father."

She then, rather surprisingly, whacked him upside the head.

"Ow!" Kevin yelped.

"Now stop this guilt trip, Kevin!" she scolded him. "This was _one_ time you were tempted! It happened plenty of times during therapy, and you didn't even go through with it! You exercised control, although you got hurt in the end. You knew you were in for the long haul with this recovery, and you may never be one hundred percent, but have a little faith in your friends to bring you back from the brink if the day comes.

"So _please-_ \- don't _do_ this to yourself anymore. Don't deny yourself your happiness because you're afraid of what _might_ happen. It's hurts me and everyone else to see you like this, and you don't deserve it after all the crap you've been through in your life. Alright?"

Kevin frowned and rubbed the back of his head, clearly thinking everything he'd heard over. His eyes went through a wide range of emotions before he finally exhaled loudly through his nose and said in deadpan, "You and Ben are _really_ good at makin' me feel like kind of a jerk. You know that, right?"

"You _are_ kind of a jerk," Gwendolyn laughed. "Then again, so is Ben. It's why you get along."

"And you're not?"

"No, I'm the nice one. I balance you two knuckleheads out and that's why _we_ get along."

"Eh, true." The ex-con gave his girlfriend his now-usual tired smile. "Alright. I can't promise this... that this'll be the last time I feel this way. But for now, I'll try to not let it get in the way of my job or my life. Sound good to you, baby?"

"It's all I ask." She smirked and shook her head. "Good thing too. Honestly, babe, you're a little too old to be angsting this much. Leave that to Devlin and Kenny."

Before he could deny being old- which he totally would have- Gwendolyn gripped his scarred chin and kissed him. He sat stunned for approximately three seconds before he cupped his hand around the back of her head and returned the kiss with fervency.

Gwendolyn knew Kevin well enough to know he wasn't completely alright. If one heartfelt speech followed by a kiss were enough to fix all his issues, he would have been healed ages ago. For now though, the darkness surrounding her lover had dissipated, and that was more than she could have hoped for. Any further healing would come to him in time, she had no doubt.

The kiss had progressed into Kevin pinning Gwendolyn onto the bed and roughly increasing the pressure on her mouth. She was about to end it while she was still clearheaded, as any further activities (as desired as they were) would aggravate his injuries, when he suddenly pulled away.

"Children," he mumbled, mostly to himself.

"What?" Gwendolyn asked breathlessly.

Kevin gave her a hard stare. "Earlier. You said my _children_ deserve _their_ father."

The redhead's eyes went so round she looked like a startled owl. She'd been so caught up in the moment before she hadn't realized she'd made a slip.

"Oops..." Gwendolyn said, avoiding eye contact.

He sat up and forced her to do the same. "Gwendolyn Eleanor Tennyson... is there somethin' you'd like to _tell_ me?"

She chewed her kiss-swollen bottom lip, then groaned in defeat. "Okay, fine. I suppose now is as good a time as any."

Kevin crossed his arms, waiting for her to continue.

"I said _children_ because it's no longer just Devlin." Gwendolyn reached over and took Kevin's hand, placing it over her stomach. "Kevin, I'm pregnant. We're having a baby."

 


	2. Kevin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin reacts to Gwen's news, and thinks over past transgressions.

Huh.

Kevin had a feeling it was something like that. It did absolutely nothing to alter his reaction, though.

"WHAT THE _HELL_?!" he hollered, jumping backward. This unfortunately caused him to tumble off the bed and hit the ground, hard. " _ARGHH_!"

"Kevin!" Gwendolyn gasped in worry. She jumped off the bed and helped him stand. "Are you okay?! Your ribs-!"

"Forget my ribs!" he barked. He started gesturing wildly. "When- what- you- _HOW_?!"

His lover gave him a look. "I seem to recall you telling me about learning "astrophysics" on the streets."

"No, no, _that_ part I'm all too familiar with. What I mean is..." He gestured to Gwendolyn's body. "No offense, Gwen, you're absolutely gorgeous but you're not exactly as young as you used to be! Shouldn't you be- I dunno, _past_ that?"

"Even with my magic slowing my aging a little, it's not unheard of for women my age to get pregnant," she answered, not offended. She shrugged. "Highly unusual, sure. But not unheard of."

Kevin felt as if he would topple over at any moment. He slowly pulled up the chair from Gwendolyn's bedroom desk and sat in it. He started to massage his temple.

"When'd you find out?" he asked monotonously.

"A month ago," she replied, sounding nervous. "I was going to surprise everyone today at the party, but then the power went out and Maltruant happened-"

Maltruant happened.

Gwendolyn was _pregnant_ and _freaking Maltruant happened!_

He got to his feet, ignoring the pain in his chest, and grabbed her by her arms. "You fought _Maltruant_! You're _pregnant_ , what were you-?!"

"Calm down, I took precautions before we arrived at the station!" she interrupted, pushing him away. She pointed at her tummy. "There are at least thirty protection spells on my womb. I'm not letting anything bad happen to our daughter!"

Kevin was about to argue, but that last word made him double-take. " _Daughter_?"

"Daughter. You usually don't learn the gender until 20 weeks, but I couldn't wait." She raised her hand and mana sparkled between her fingers. "So I cheated."

Kevin stared incredulously at his girlfriend before gingerly sitting back down and slumping in his chair.

"We're havin' a baby," he whispered in disbelief, staring at the ceiling. "I'm gonna have a baby girl."

"Is it safe to assume you're alright with this?" Gwendolyn asked, hesitant.

"Gimme a minute. Still tryin' to process it," he replied. He lifted his head and raised an eyebrow at her. "Why do you ask?"

"It's not like we ever talked about this, you know- not even before you left. Back then we were always so busy, either with college or Plumber duties or getting the Rushmore base set up. We never found time to discuss... _this_. And when you got back... well, we literally just hashed that out." She rubbed the back of her neck. "On top of all that, this isn't exactly the best time, what with you starting your new job and my responsibilities as High Magus to attend to."

Kevin stared at her in confusion. What was with the excuses? "Are _you_ not alright with this?"

"Of course not! Just because we never talked about it doesn't mean I never wanted it! I want this with you, and always have!" Gwendolyn shouted. She hugged her arms. "I mean, I love Devlin. He's practically the son I never had and a day doesn't go by where I don't wish he were mine-"

The image of a dark haired woman with dark blue eyes flashed through his mind. Kevin turned his gaze away from Gwen guiltily.

"- but it's not the same. I never got have my own baby, or raise them. There was a time where I thought it was just a lost dream, because I knew no one else in the entire universe could replace you. Now that I have that chance, I'm not passing it up for anything." She leaned toward her boyfriend. "What I want to know is if _you're_ alright with it."

 _Was_ he? He'd never imagined he'd ever have another child. Sure, he'd thought about having children in general from time to time back before he went off his rocker again, but as previously mentioned, real life's hurdles prevented it from coming to fruition. But that was then- as his talk with Gwendolyn showed, his life since being cured was a constant cycle of struggle and recovery and more struggle. He was just satisfied that after all the heartache his girlfriend was still _willing_ to be his girlfriend. Children were not a priority. Heck, he never thought he would even have Devlin!

Having a son tended not to be at the forefront of your thoughts when said thoughts comprised of "absorb energy", "blow that up", and "Destroy Tennyson!"

While he loved the kid more than anything, there was a lot of regrets that came with him. He didn't regret _having_ him (or at least, the _real_ him didn't- Kevin 11000 might have thought different), but he did regret how he came about. It wasn't fair to Devlin, Gwendolyn, or... _her_. Originally, the idea of having another kid someday held so many negative connotations he preferred to simply push it out of his mind.

However, instead of feeling apprehensive about this new child, Kevin felt oddly... light, and at the same time as if something previously intangible were being cemented. He _never_ had thoughts like that. Yeah, he had been startled at first, but that had already faded. He was going to have a little girl. He was the biggest jerk this side of the cosmos and he was having a baby girl. He was having a baby with with Gwendolyn- his beautiful, beautiful Gwen whom he loved so much. Devlin- his amazing, talented son who was unfairly forgiving- was going to have a younger sibling and bigger family.

He had another reason not to let those "nightmares" he feared get in the way of his life.

"I'm alright with it. More than alright," Kevin confirmed without hesitation. He took her hand. "I've always wanted this with you too. I'm sorry you had to wait this long, baby."

Gwendolyn smiled, knelt down, and pressed her forehead against his. "Believe me, it was definitely worth the wait."

Kevin grinned. It really was, and he could just imagine Ben shouting about how it was about time. Kenny would definitely get in on it, and Devlin-

Wait. Devlin was going to have sibling. A sibling born from a _different_ woman than _her_. Dev liked Gwen well enough ever since the Tennysons adopted him, but there had been some bitterness when he and Gwendolyn started dating again. What if he...?

"Gwendolyn," Kevin spoke up seriously.

Gwen frowned, puzzled by the tone. "Yes? What is it?"

"... Do you think Devlin-?"

"- hopes you plan to finally make an honest woman out of Gwen, now that you know about the baby? Yes, yes I do."

The two adults' heads snapped towards the doorway. There stood Devlin, smiling as if he were incredibly pleased with himself.

"Devlin?!" Kevin shouted. Hadn't he gone to bed?!

"How long have you been eavesdropping?!" Gwendolyn asked. "Better question, how did I not sense you?!"

"A, the entire time. B, I'll never tell," Devlin replied, strolling casually into the room. He turned to his father. "BTW, Dad, I already know about my baby sister. I was the first person Gwen told. Just like you, she wanted to know if I was okay with it."

He should have known. While slightly irked he hadn't been the first to know, that was exactly kind of thing Gwendolyn would take into consideration long before he did. Since his son already knew...

"... Are you?" Kevin asked cautiously. "Okay with the baby, I mean."

"Yeah," Devlin dismissed. His expression turned thoughtful. "Well, I _did_ consider brooding over the fact you were finally getting the child you _wanted_ with the woman you _actually_ loved, but let's face it, there's enough unnecessary drama in this family as is."

Kevin winced. Those words felt like a hot poker on his heart, and brought up even more images of dark hair and blue eyes and a mischievous smile that would leave you wondering whether or not she put a Hanabian firecracker under the pilot's seat and-

" _Devlin_!" Gwendolyn scolded, horrified.

"I'm sorry," Devlin apologized sincerely. "I was trying to make a point. Dad, I think I know you well enough by now to know what _you're_ thinking _I'm_ feeling. You think I'd resent you for caring more about Gwen than Mom, and that I'd grow jealous of my sister."

The hot poker had evolved into a fist of magma burning through his chest cavity. That was exactly what he feared, and hearing it said aloud made everything ten times worse.

"Devlin," Kevin said quietly. "Laki... she..."

Gwen pursed her lips at the name, turning her head away.

Laki. Devlin's late mother, and his late wife.

Well, he said "wife", but he never married her. She hadn't wanted to and even if she had, it was difficult for wanted felons to get their hands on a marriage license. In any case, Laki was a complicated subject, as had been their relationship. She was his former business partner/object of romance (which was a _whole_ other backstory he need not get into) who had retired to Earth's Saturn colony, he had been extremely lonely while on his insane rampage (not that he would have admitted it), she still carried a torch (not that _she_ would have admitted it), one thing led to another and it produced Devlin. Her and Devlin's home in the colony had been where he went to relax when he wasn't in prison or wreaking havoc.

He didn't love her though- held a lot of respect for her, and even cared about her, but not love. At least not in the way he loved Gwendolyn, or in the way Laki stilled loved him despite their history. That was the only conceivable reason why besides abject fear and not wanting to break Gwen's heart she never contacted Ben.

He and Laki had fought, a lot. That had always been a norm with them- they fought on a near-constant basis. About Devlin, about Kevin's actions, about business, (seldomly) about getting help. The Tennysons were never mentioned- Laki learned pretty fast what topics set Kevin 11000 off, and anything pertaining to Ben was one of them. He thankfully never laid a hand on her, but he knew how unhappy she must have been. Still, he was grateful to her. She'd taken care of their son and it was because of her he had never done anything _too_ irredeemable in his madness. Perhaps that was why Gwendolyn felt jealous of her (and he _knew_ she was- she got that same annoyed looked when Kevin used to ogle Jennifer Nocturne); Laki had succeeded where she had failed repeatedly. However, despite any resentment, Kevin knew Gwen was also grateful to Devlin's mother. She was in part responsible for him getting cured.

Laki had died while he was in the Null Void, when Devlin was ten years old. It was one of the reasons his son had wanted to free him. However, according to Gwendolyn, before Laki died she had made a holo-recording for the Tennyson family for Devlin to give them. Devlin hadn't intended to deliver it- Kevin used to rant about how Ben had wronged him to the kid- but after the elder Levin revealed exactly why he'd been in the Null Void for most of his son's childhood, the boy been more than happy to share once things had settled down. Laki spent the recording telling them how Kevin came back to her, why she never contacted them before, and how he acted around Devlin at home. In those moments, she claimed, it was like the Real Kevin was trying to break through. She had held no delusions that Kevin loved her (she'd always been perceptive like that), especially since he was still crazy at the time, but apparently what she said to them made all the difference:

 

_"Don't give up on Kevin- we owe him that much. And I'm sure if anyone can bring that dunderhead home, it's the Great Ben Tennyson."_

 

That one statement had caused the Tennyson cousins to feel great shame, but it had been the final wake-up call they needed. Devlin's appearance had been the first, and when the boy expressed the desire to regain this "Real Kevin", they had gone straight to work on curing him. The rest was history. Kevin owed Laki more than he could ever repay, and to this very day he didn't know what to do about it. It was just easier not to think about her, but that in of itself was hard. Devlin was _so much_ like her, from his eyes to the way he could snark at the drop of a hat.

Kevin loved Gwendolyn dearly, but Devlin would always be a constant reminder of where he'd gone wrong in the past. He wouldn't blame the kid for being bitter.

"Mom understood where she stood in your heart, or rather, _didn't_ stand," Devlin sighed, interrupting Kevin's thoughts. "She wasn't _happy_ about it, but she understood that even when bat-crap crazy, there was only one woman for you. If that message she left was anything to go by, she thought you and Gwen were an adorable couple and she felt guilty about kinda being the homewrecker." He went deadpan. "And you knew Mom- it took a _lot_ to make her feel guilty about _anything._ "

Kevin blinked, then chuckled in total agreement. Even Gwendolyn cracked a small smile of her own.

"I understand that as well... or least, I do _now_. In the past I was sort of bitter, but I'm over it. You may have been totally bonkers, but you still cared about Mom in your own way. You still do now that you're better. She just wasn't Gwen, who's _practically_ your soul mate."

He crossed his arms. "I also understand it was different with me than it will be with my little sister- the primary altered factor being that you're not still swimming in the deep end, if you catch my drift. She'll hopefully never know you as I used to, and, to be honest, I'm kinda envious. However, if our family's encounters with Maltruant or Paradox have taught us anything, it's the past can't be changed so there's no use dwelling on it. I can't ask you to go on another rampage or be locked up again just so she'll know how it feels. I've already long forgiven you. You're not gonna let the past control your life, and I'm gonna do the same. It's the least I can do."

The lovers stared at the boy, taking in his speech.

Gwendolyn raised an eyebrow at him, but smiled. "How did you get so wise? You don't get it from Kevin's side, that's for sure."

"Hey!" Kevin argued, though he was smiling as well. "I can be wise! He sure as heck doesn't get it from _Laki_!"

"I like to think I got it spiritually from Gwen. She's basically my second mom," Devlin added unhelpfully. "And let's be real, she's the brains of the outfit."

No argument there, at least compared to Gwendolyn's competition within the Tennyson clan.

Devlin stepped forward and threw his arms around the couple's necks. "What I'm getting at is that I'm happy for you two, and I'm glad you, Dad, are going to try to stop blaming yourself. Mom would be too. After all the wear and tear you and Gwen's relationship has taken over the last decade and a half, you both deserve whatever joyful chaos I know my sister's gonna raise. I'm personally both looking forward to and dreading it."

This made Gwendolyn and Kevin laugh as they simultaneously returned Devlin's hug. Kevin's ribs were stinging like the devil, but he didn't complain; the moment was so _right_ and stood as a testament to how far the three of them had come, as in the recent past none of them had thought it to be possible. It was like with Gwendolyn- his issues didn't all just magically evaporate but his immediate worries, for the time being, were quelled. He had better things to do right now than angst over the past. He would undoubtedly be doing more of _that_ later, but for now...

"... He had a long talk about this with you and Max before today, didn't he?" Kevin asked.

... he had a son to embarrass.

"Dad!" Devlin gasped.

"Yeah, he wasn't exactly thrilled when I first told him," Gwendolyn admitted. "Why do you think he was building the afterburners? It's like you with your car- he was trying to get his mind off it. Glad to see he's absorbed the lesson, though."

"What, I can't be all deep and stuff without help?" Devlin asked, indignant.

"Naw," Kevin replied bluntly. "Levin men ain't deep. We have people to be deep for us."

"Represent!" Gwendolyn offered cheerfully.

"You'd better learn how, Dad!" Devlin sniffed. "How else are you going to ask Gwen to marry you?"

" _What_?!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Kevin moved away from Devlin. "Who said anythin' about _marriage_?!"

He had just gotten the _I'm pregnant with your baby_ bomb dropped on him for the second time in his miserable life! Now _marriage_ was being added into the equation?!

"I did when I walked in!" Devlin reminded him. "I wasn't kidding about that, you really should marry Gwen. You knocked her up, you have to take responsibility!"

"He doesn't have to do anything, Devlin," Gwendolyn sighed tiredly. "He can take responsibility without putting a ring on my finger. At this juncture, it doesn't really matter if we get married or not. 13 years insanity not withstanding, we've been dating since we were _teenagers_. We might as _well_ be married."

"Wait, so you _don't_ wanna get married?" Kevin asked.

"I didn't say that. I just don't see it as a priority. Why, do _you_ want to?"

"I don't know, maybe? Not right now! You said so yourself, we've been together for so long we might as well be, but I'm still getting used to the whole daughter thing! Do we really need some over-the-top wedding on top of that?"

"Come on, Dad, stop being such a wuss!" Devlin taunted.

"Wuss?!" Kevin echoed, annoyed.

"Yeah. If Mom were here, she'd tell you to stop being a wuss, grow a pair, and _commit_ to this wonderful lady!"

"... Yeah, she would say that. But that doesn't make it the best thing to do right _now_! I'm taking over Rook's old job next week, and Gwendolyn is _pregnant_! We don't need the stress of a wedding! I can commit without being forced into some fancy ceremony!"

"Looma Red Wind."

"HOW DO YOU EVEN _KNOW_ ABOUT THAT?!"

"Okay, that is _enough_!" Gwen declared, creating a mana shield between the bickering men. "Kevin, calm down! Devlin, drop it! This is not the kind of decision that can be settled within a few minutes, and especially not at _three in the morning_. I think we're all just emotionally exhausted _and_ physically exhausted. Therefore we need to get some sleep. This conversation will be still be here tomorrow, three days from now, _indefinitely_ from now. We don't need to figure it all out at once! Am I clear?"

The Levin men glared at each other for a few more seconds, then answered in unison, "Yeah, whatever."

The Anodite shook her head in exasperation, dropping the shield. Devlin turned on his heel and walked back to the doorway. Before he stepped out, he looked over his shoulder at the couple.

"Good night," he said. He grinned. "And again, congrats."

With that, he left room and closed the door behind him. The pair stared at the spot he had been, then turned to look at each other.

"Did he mean congrats on the baby, or congrats on you working through some of your issues?" Gwendolyn asked.

"With him, it could go either way," Kevin admitted, squeezing the bridge of his nose. He shook his head. "I will never get that kid."

She poked his cheek teasingly. "But you still _looooove_ him."

The Osmosian snorted, but did nothing to deny it. Of course he loved him, and nothing in the universe would make him say or feel otherwise.

"... I love you too, Gwen," he whispered.

"I know," she confirmed, taking him by the arm. "Come on, let's get to bed."

"Stay with me?"

"Always."

"... Gwen?"

"Yeah?"

"We're gonna have to tell Tennyson about all this, aren't we."

"The baby or your breakdown?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, we have to."

"Fan-freaking-tastic."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A word about Devlin's biological mom:
> 
> Laki is an OC I created to be Devlin's biological mother. She actually has quite a bit of backstory, but it wouldn't have fit in this story without digressing from it. In short, she was Kevin's ex-girlfriend; the girl he dated briefly before he met Ben and Gwen again in the rail yard. They had broken up a few months before then. I imagined she would appear in his life again shortly after the events of "Weapon XI, Part 2", desiring Kevin's aide with something. Ben, Rook, and Gwen met her, stuff happened, and Laki expressed her approval of both how Kevin changed and his relationship with Gwen. This encounter was a fic idea I had called "XI and the Ex." Anyway, many years later she retired to Saturn Colony, was sought after by Kevin 11,000, and... well, you know already.


	3. Epilogue

 

And so life went on.

As Gwendolyn had planned, the pregnancy announcement went down at the redo retirement party. There were mostly delighted reactions, the outlier being Ben's, which was similar to Devlin's in terms of "commit already!" One dirty look from his cousin and his wife shut up him, thankfully.

Kevin started his job in the Null Void, and was doing very well. The Rooters would argue otherwise, but nobody cared about their opinion.

Devlin and Kenny had their talk and there were no hard feelings. They also finally got off their groundings and Kenny was allowed to wear the Omnitrix again. He still had the time travel device he got from Professor Paradox, "just in case."

The garage was soon replaced before being subsequently destroyed again when a freak meteorite hit it.

Kevin and Gwendolyn did eventually discuss the idea of getting married. Much to Devlin and Ben's frustration, it was still up the air.

And eight months after the conversation in the bedroom, one Evelyn Rachel Levin was born to the overjoyed family. Any lingering concerns over sibling resentment vanished when they saw how Devlin doted on the baby girl just as much as her parents.

 

* * *

 

While it would be nice to say they lived "happily ever after," it wouldn't be accurate. That term implies a certain degree of easiness and finality, and their lives were most definitely not easy; Kevin still had his mood swings and episodes of depression, the family still had their arguments, and there would always be some inevitable enemy that came along to threaten the planet and force the team into action. Things also weren't final- the Tennysons, Levins, and assorted friends still had the rest of their lives waiting for them. Lives that were open to change and growth, be it positive or negative.

However, they would take these changes as they came, face them together whatever they may be, and have faith that one day it would be better. All that mattered to them, especially Gwendolyn and Kevin, was living in the now. The past couldn't be changed while future was both inconsequential and even more open to alteration. There would be time to worry about it later. Right now they were together, taking it step by step. It would be a long and difficult journey, true, but if there was one thing the couple could attest to, it was that the lives worth having usually were. Life was abnormal like that.

But hey, normalcy was purely relative anyway.


End file.
